Tag Archives: Substance Abuse

Identifying the Issues Behind Addiction

Many treatment centers focus only on addiction when they try to help people break the habit and reclaim control of their lives. Because addiction is often the symptom of other problems, looking under the surface and treating those conditions is a vital part of the recovery process. Taking the right steps will not only help people overcome addiction, but it will also prevent them from falling into the same trap in the future.

When people come to us for support and guidance through this challenging period, we will learn about them and their needs so that we can craft an approach that will get the job done. With a dual diagnosis, we will find and treat the underlying issues, and you will be happy when you see the difference it can make. In addition to facing the issues behind addiction, you will also learn to take a holistic approach to recovery, allowing your body, mind and spirit to break the chains of addiction so that you can move forward with your life.

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Mental Illness and Addiction

Mental illness is a significant factor for many people who struggle with addiction and want to find a cure. Some people don’t even realize that they are using drugs or alcohol to treat depression, anxiety or other mental health problems.

While using substances can provide temporary relief, it can cause many more complications over the long run that you can’t afford to overlook if you value your well-being. The team at ABC Rehab will search for, find and treat the problems that remain out of view, and you will be on the right track before you know it. When you let us manage your addiction and the issues that contribute to it, you will enhance your odds of reaching your desired outcome.

The Connection Between Abuse and Addiction

When people use drugs or alcohol, they often do so to mask the pain of abuse. While some of them drink or take drugs to reduce the pain of ongoing abuse, others turn to substance use to forget about and ease the stress of past abuse. If you or someone you know can relate to that problem, we are here to give you a hand, offering support when you need it the most.

Trauma and Addiction

People don’t always have the same response to stressful events in life, and poor coping skills can make it all but impossible to overcome emotional trauma. Those who enlist our help will learn to accept the past and create a bright future.

Depending on your needs and goals, we can help you come to terms with what has happened so that it won’t hold you back from reaching your real potential. Removing the pain of past trauma will make it a lot easier for you to get and stay sober, and you will have confidence in your decision to work with our team. Learning to accept the past will dissolve your trauma and allow you to embrace any challenge you encounter along the way. Our goal is to give you the required strength and mental endurance to face your trauma in a way that will lead to your success.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

During the time we have spent helping people overcome addiction, we discovered that post-traumatic stress disorder is often to blame. When you have PTSD, anything can trigger it and start a flashback that will force you to relive one of the worst moments of your life, and many people see drugs or alcohol as the only way to escape from the pain.

Helping you overcome your addiction won’t do a lot of good if you still have PTSD because it can entice you to return to old habits. Treating your PTSD and addiction at the same time will skyrocket your odds of defeating addiction, and our team will guide you through each step.

Our Approach

If you would like to get the most from your effort and to work with a team that offers consistent results, learn how we approach addiction and its underlying issues. Arming yourself with that information will let you choose a path with peace of mind, and you will know what you can expect at each step.

You will have access to caring experts who will learn about your exact needs and help you create a strategy that will allow you to achieve long-term success. When you work with us, you will discover how to let God into your life so that he can give you the strength you never knew you had.

Getting Started

Are you done allowing addiction to control your life and dictate the choices you make each day? If so, you can reach out to Desert Cove Recovery right away, and we will do what it takes to get you moving on the right track as soon as possible. When we stand with you and help you treat issues that hide below the surface, you will see that defeating addiction is possible and that you can reach your goals if you use a proven approach and the right mindset.

We will answer your questions and address your concerns so that you will have confidence as you make your choice. The future of which you have been dreaming is right around the corner, and you don’t need to fight the battle alone.

Stages of Opiate Withdrawal

Opiates are addictive in part because they activate parts of the brain associated with pleasure. However, that is only part of the story. A person who takes painkillers or other opioids will find themselves chemically dependent on the drugs. Once this happens, overcoming addiction can be extremely difficult. The physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms pose a tremendous challenge to individuals looking for recovery.

How Opioids Work in the Brain

Your body naturally produces opioids, which attach to special receptors in the brain. These neurotransmitters help the body naturally regulate pain and stress.

Chemical opioids attach to the same receptors in the brain and have a similar effect of producing euphoria. However, they are significantly stronger than anything the body can produce on its own. These fake neurotransmitters flood the system and eventually prevent the body from producing opioids of its own. Part of what causes drug withdrawal symptoms is this lack of dopamine and related chemicals in the brain as the body adjusts to the absence of opioids.

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Stages of Opiate Withdrawal: A Timeline

Drug withdrawal presents a set of physical and emotional symptoms that can be extremely difficult to endure. However, it’s important to remember that withdrawal is temporary.

If you or a loved one is facing detoxification and rehab, know that the worst of the symptoms will last just a few days. Knowing what to expect and having a timeline of events in mind can help to ease some of the psychological pressure when facing withdrawal and recovery.

Withdrawal symptoms for short-acting opiates will begin within 12 hours of the last dose. For long-acting opiates, symptoms may start within 30 hours. Over the next two days, symptoms will continue to worsen, peaking around the 72 hour mark. By the end of the third day, most physical symptoms will have resolved. Psychological symptoms and cravings may continue for a week or more.

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Early withdrawal symptoms include the following:

Drug cravings

Agitation or anxiety

Muscle aches

Sweats and fever

Increased blood pressure and heart rate

Sleep disruption

These initial symptoms may cause restlessness and mood swings.

The later stage of withdrawal produces flu-like symptoms:

Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea

Goosebumps and shivering

Stomach cramps and pain

Depression and intense drug cravings may accompany this stage. These symptoms will generally peak within 72 hours and resolve within five days. From a physical standpoint, recovery is well underway. Physical symptoms of withdrawal may disappear quickly after the third day of detox. However, psychological symptoms may linger, and drug cravings may persist or come and go in the weeks and months that follow.

What About Drug Replacement?

In some cases, an alternative substance like Suboxone may be provided to help mitigate the effects of chemical dependence. This drug is classified as a “partial opioid agonist,” which means that it is a weaker type of opioid that cannot be abused. Other replacement drugs, like methadone, may also sometimes be used.

Addiction clinics and rehab facilities offer these medications as a stepping stone to help reduce the severity of drug withdrawal symptoms. However, users will still undergo withdrawal when weaning off of the replacement drug, and recovery will take longer when these medical aids are offered. There is also the risk of finding a way to abuse these medications.

The Importance of Support During Withdrawal

Drug detox and addiction recovery services are crucial to helping people recover safely throughout the stages of opiate withdrawal and stay away from drugs long-term.

One important but often overlooked symptom of withdrawal is suicidal ideation. Not everyone who undergoes withdrawal feels suicidal, but the feelings of depression can be overwhelming. People in the grip of withdrawal may experience mood swings and dark thoughts that seem to have no end point. The feeling that life may never be better than it is in that dark moment or that the addict can never be happy again without drugs can be overwhelming. For this reason, a strong support system is essential to the safety of people overcoming addiction. Recovering addicts need to know that their symptoms are temporary. They also need to be protected from opportunities for self-harm and relapse.

Protecting recovering addicts from relapse is especially important because many deadly overdoses occur during relapse. Because the user’s body is no longer accustomed to the drug, it will be more sensitive. What would have been a normal dose for the user before withdrawal can become a deadly overdose in the weeks that follow.

The best drug rehabilitation programs provide a strong support network for recovering addicts throughout all stages of recovery, including the difficult weeks that follow acute drug withdrawal. By continuing to offer support after the initial symptoms have faded, the rehab program can provide the best environment for successful and permanent drug cessation.

Did you know that the Center for Disease Control reports that 91 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose?

Would you believe that opioids like heroin, fentanyl and prescription narcotics killed over 33,000 people in 2015 alone?

The CDC states that over 60 percent of overdose deaths are due to opioids, whether they’re prescription pills or street drugs. Opioid addiction is quickly reaching crisis levels in the United States, but addiction treatments are not keeping up with this alarming trend.

The Food and Drug Administration has recently approved the use of Vivitrol®, an injectable form of the well-known addiction treatment drug naltrexone.

What is Vivitrol®?

Vivitrol® is the injectable form of the pill naltrexone. Until recently, naltrexone was an oral medication that doctors would prescribe for both alcohol and drug addictions. The person would be required to take a pill every day in order to curb cravings for opioids or alcohol.

The potential problem with naltrexone pills is the accountability aspect of the treatment. It can be easy for addicts to find themselves in compromising situations and “forget” to take their pill, which undermines their sobriety treatment.

By switching to a single monthly shot administered by a doctor, this can eliminate the temptation of those potentially dangerous situations.

How Does Injectable Naltrexone Work?

At its core, naltrexone is what is known as an antagonist, or blocking, medication. The medication works by binding itself to the same receptors in the brain that an opioid molecule would typically bind to. The difference is that naltrexone does not provide the dopamine release, or “high,” that comes when an opioid binds to the receptor instead.

This means that the medication creates a barrier to block opioid molecules from binding to those receptors, which takes away all of the reward an addict would typically get from using his or her drug of choice. This helps to retrain the brain’s craving signals and prevent relapse while the person is in recovery.

It’s important to note that Vivitrol®, or any naltrexone can only be taken after a full detoxification has been completed. Attempting to take this type of medication before fully detoxing is dangerous.

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Is Vivitrol® an Effective Treatment for Addiction?

While no treatment yet has a perfect success rate, Vivitrol® can be immensely helpful for some people. The accountability and single dose both help to make the treatment process as successful as possible.

What About Potential Side Effects of Vivitrol®?

As with any medication, there are potential side effects to using Vivitrol®. This is especially true for people who have been regularly using opioids prior to beginning treatment.

Some people experience symptoms like nausea, tiredness, anxiety, restlessness, joint pain and abdominal cramping, which are all mild signs of withdrawal. This is only cause for concern if the symptoms persist over an extended period of time.

Other, more serious side effects of Vivitrol like mood changes, vomiting, confusion or hallucinations can occur, but they are rare. Typically, if a doctor has prescribed Vivitrol® for treatment, it is because he or she believes that the benefits outweigh any potential risks. Few people experience any serious problems while taking Vivitrol®.

Are There Any Other Concerns?

– Is Vivitrol® Safe?

One of the most common questions people ask is, “Is Vivitrol® safe?” The answer to this question is yes, as long as the person follows the full treatment plan and is medically supervised.

Because naltrexone blocks a person’s ability to feel an opioid high, some people will try to overcome this by taking large quantities of drugs, which is extremely dangerous. This is a concern for some, but doctors and recovery centers have become more diligent about educating patients about this.

– Does Vivitrol® Really Help Achieve Abstinence?

While every person is different, overall the studies have shown that the injections are effective for helping patients stay sober. One study found that 36 percent of patients who were receiving Vivitrol® injections stayed completely sober compared to only 23 percent who received no medication.

In addition, Vivitrol® users reported up to 99 percent opioid-free days during a 25-week evaluation. Non-users only reported 60 percent opioid-free days.

Contact Us For Addiction Help

If you or a loved one are struggling with an opioid addiction, know you’re not alone. There are so many options available to you, and we want to help. Addiction is a disease that can be treated, but you can’t do it by yourself.

Don’t become one of the CDC’s tragic statistics. Contact Desert Cove Recovery today, and let us know that you want to get started on your journey to recovery so that we can help you with your next steps.

The Controversy Around Using Kratom for Withdrawal

In the war on drugs, there’s a war on a plant-based herbal supplement called kratom.

Advocates swear by it as a pain reliever, a mild stimulant or an aid in beating opioid addiction. Many proponents say that they’ve used kratom for withdrawal with great success.

Detractors point to its mind-altering and addictive properties. Federal authorities have attempted to classify kratom, which is legal and widely available, as a Schedule I drug in the same class as heroin and LSD. Schedule I drugs are considered dangerous for their high potential for abuse and lack of known medical benefits.

What Is Kratom?

Kratom is derived from an evergreen plant in the coffee family. It is native to South Asia, but Malaysia and Thailand are now two of the 16 countries that tightly control the use of kratom or ban it altogether.

In the U.S., kratom leaves are typically ground into powder and brewed as tea. In doses of a few grams, kratom acts as a mild stimulant for alertness and sociability. At doses of 10 to 25 grams, it acts as a sedative. The user may feel calm and euphoric.

Kratom is mostly used to manage chronic pain, aid digestion or lift mood, but its popularity as a drug for weaning addicts from opioids has generated a storm of controversy.

What’s All the Fuss About?

Kratom isn’t an opioid, but it contains almost as many alkaloids as opium or hallucinogenic mushrooms. The U.S. government gets alarmed, understandably, when kratom powder is touted as a safe, legal, cheap high. Herbal supplements aren’t regulated, so there’s no way of knowing what’s actually in them.

According to a study conducted at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, kratom-related calls to regional U.S. poison control centers increased tenfold between 2010 and 2016. The CDC warns of an emerging health threat, especially when kratom is combined with alcohol or other drugs.

In a recent statement, Scott Gottlieb of the Food and Drug Administration implied that kratom was no safer than the 340 million packages of illegal opioids that stream into the U.S. every year. Gottlieb also cited 36 deaths linked to kratom.

One of raw kratom’s chief alkaloids is mitragynine, which is thought to activate natural opioid receptors without depressing the respiratory system. That’s why so many proponents of kratom are excited about its potential as a safer pain medication. Between 1999 and 2016, more than 200,000 Americans died from prescription opioid overdose.

A woman named Susan Ash recovered from Lyme disease only to wind up addicted to pain pills. After detox and addiction treatment, she stumbled across kratom and has used it every day since. Indeed, she attributes her recovery to it. Ash and thousands of other users regularly lobby against state bills that would ban the sale of kratom. Six states have made kratom illegal.

Others aren’t so sure about kratom for withdrawal and insist that Ash and other recovering addicts are anything but clean.

Dariya Pankova was battling a heroin addiction when she tried kratom. She became hooked on it and eventually returned to the more potent heroin. A South Florida man who was trying to quit several substances had a similar experience. He developed tolerance to kratom and returned to rehab many times before he beat his addiction to it.

Respondents to a recent survey of 6,150 regular users told a different story:

More than 98 percent denied that kratom is dangerous.

Around 75 percent said that it’s impossible to get high on kratom.

Almost 67 percent considered themselves more likely to get hooked or overdose on other substances if kratom is banned.

Almost a fourth said they would break the law to use kratom after a ban.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, kratom’s negative effects may include the following:

Sensitivity to sunburn

Nausea

Itching

Sweating

Dry mouth

Constipation

Increased urination

Loss of appetite

Psychotic symptoms

Researchers at NIDA believe that kratom is habit-forming. Reported side effects during withdrawal include the following:

Muscle aches

Insomnia

Irritability

Hostility

Aggression

Mood swings

Runny nose

Jerky movements

It’s important to note that behavioral therapies have not been tested for treatment of kratom addiction alone.

Is Kratom Right for You?

It’s hard to make a good decision about kratom until far more research is done. Many recovering addicts see it as a godsend during opioid withdrawal, but many others flatly insist that using kratom is the equivalent of relapsing.

One thing’s for sure: Where opioid addiction is concerned, kratom is no substitute for the professional help of experienced caregivers.

Growth Mindset in Addiction Recovery

The mindset you have while you are facing an addiction will play a critical role in your odds of overcoming and combating the problem. If you have the wrong mindset when you are first getting started, you will make your journey harder than it needs to be. Falling into that trap can cause you to lose hope and give up, and you must avoid that mistake at all costs.

If you can develop a growth mindset, you will gain vital insights into your problem and uncover hidden solutions that you never knew existed. Acquiring a growth mindset will take effort in the beginning, and you must pay attention to your thoughts at all times if you don’t want to fall behind. If you remain on track and don’t give up on your goals, you will defeat your addiction in no time. The following guide reveals the main difference between fixed and growth mindsets, but you will also discover how you can cultivate a growth mindset and apply it to your addiction treatment.

Fixed Mindset

Learning about fixed mindsets and why they are harmful is a great starting point for those who want to overcome an addiction. If you have a fixed mindset, you believe that some people are better equipped to handle life’s problems than others. When you have a fixed mindset, you also believe that you can’t do anything to break free from addiction or change your life. You feel stuck when you’re in a fixed mindset.

This mentality is one of the most harmful factors that will hold you in place and stop you from improving your situation, so you must do everything that you can to change the way you see the world and the problems you face. Doing so won’t always be easy, but you will gain a powerful skill that you can use in many areas of your life.

Growth Mindset

You can gain almost any skill you want if you have a growth mindset, and nothing can stand in your way. When you realize that you can solve almost any problem that presents itself, you will find the motivation and inspiration needed to leave your addiction behind. Rather than giving up when they face trouble, people who have growth mindsets take a step back and look for new and creative ways to reach their desired outcome.

They know that success is not likely on the first or second attempt, but they also understand that persistence will move them toward what they want to achieve. Many factors can impact your addiction and determine the ease with which you can beat it, but having the right mindset is the biggest factor in your success.

Cultivating a Growth Mindset

If you don’t have a growth mindset and want to break the chains of addiction, it’s time to change your perspective, which is not as hard as you might think. You can begin by monitoring each thought you have about addiction and your plan to turn your life around.

Also, look to your past and think of times in which you overcame problems that you once thought were insurmountable. Setting and working toward short-term goals is another great way to prove to yourself that you can make progress and change your situation. Once you complete a small goal and get a little boost of confidence, use the motivation to push yourself past your next milestone. After you reach your milestone, make sure you take time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished.

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Applying a Growth Mindset to Addiction Recovery

Now that you have established a recovery growth mindset, it’s time to apply your new perspective to your recovery plan. You need to accept that you can’t overcome the problem with the tools that you already have on hand. While doing so can be painful, it opens many opportunities for you to reclaim your life and to change the direction in which it’s moving. Take some time to yourself and make a list of the top things that keep you trapped in the endless cycle of addiction.

For some people, the cravings get the best of them and keep pulling them back into the same trap. For others, friends or environmental factors can make it hard to leave addiction behind. You will then want to do research and find out how other people have overcome the problems you are facing. You might not be able to stop using the drug to which you are addicted all at once, but you can reduce the number of times you use the drug, which is a good step along the right path.

Taking the Next Step

Although building a recovery growth mindset is an effective way to defeat addiction and regain control of your life, it’s not always enough. If you are serious about defeating your addiction for good, nothing can compete with the touch of a caring group of experts.

Finding a treatment facility that will help to cultivate a growth mindset is a great way to give yourself the best possible odds of making a full recovery. Even in your darkest moments, we will stand by your side and help you harness the power within you. If you have questions or are ready to start, contact us as soon as you can. We’re here to help.

Alcohol is a drug that is typically accepted by society. While alcohol carries significant level of addiction, people tend not to notice it until it is very serious, because it’s hard to draw the line between what’s acceptable as social drinking and what’s not. It’s not always easy to be objective when trying to figure out if you or a loved one has a problem with drinking.

Consuming too much alcohol affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain, having a big impact in your safety and health. If you are wondering if a person is abusing alcohol or if they have progressed to alcoholism, read on for common signs of alcoholism.

Signs of Alcohol Abuse

Typically, a person abusing alcohol will have problems at work or school, such as being late or not going at all, because of being hungover or sick. They’ll drink in risky situations, such as before or while driving a car, boating or something similar. After drinking, the person also may not remember what happened while he/she was drinking; there are memory losses or blackouts.

Abusing alcohol will definitely have an impact in a person’s overall physical health. Long-term alcohol abuse, for example, can lead to liver damage. If a person has experienced negative effects on their physical health, yet they continue to drink, this is a key indicator of alcohol abuse.

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Signs of Alcoholism

When the alcohol abuse progresses into dependence or addiction, the person cannot quit drinking or control how much or when they drink. Alcohol becomes a focal point in life. The drinker must always make sure there is enough on hand, and social activities nearly always include drinking. They also need to drink more to get the same buzz as before, and may have withdrawal symptoms when they stop drinking. These include feeling sick to stomach, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety. Withdrawal symptoms can also include delirium tremens, which can be deadly.

You’ll notice that the amount of time and money that the person spends drinking has increased, and they have given up other activities so they can drink or recover from drinking. The person may drink early in the day, stay drunk for a long time, or drink alone. They also may keep drinking even though it harms their career, education, family or relationships.

A person in this stage of alcoholism will try to conceal their drinking and make excuses, or do things to hide their drinking, such as buying alcohol at different stores. They also change what they drink, such as switching from beer to wine because they think that doing this will help them drink less or keep them from getting drunk.

Often times, a drinker would like to quit drinking. Many times, however, they are unable to stop drinking for long, and again begin dangerous drinking patterns.

What Can I Do to Help Someone Struggling with Alcoholism?

Alcoholism is a serious problem all over the world as social drinking can turn into something more serious without realizing it. Finding a reputable alcohol treatment center is extremely beneficial and can give the person struggling with alcoholism the tools necessary to begin and experience long-term recovery.

If you or a loved one is battling dependence or addiction, know that you are not alone and that treatment is available. Contact a counselor in Desert Cove Recovery for help. There is always a solution to recover a normal and healthy life.

Spending time with our screens has become a regular part of our lives. Some of us even joke that we spend so much time with them, we are addicted to our devices. However, gaming addiction is a very real issue for some people, and experts have determined that it is rooted in a mental health condition.

Therapists and other health professionals have become aware that overuse of electronic devices poses health risks. In 2013, Internet Addiction Disorder was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

Gaming Disorder will be classified as a mental health condition in the 2018 edition of the International Classification of Diseases. The list, which is published by the WHO (World Health Organization), will include several additions.

Definition of Gaming Disorder

The draft form of the entry states that if someone has a gaming disorder, they make gaming a priority “to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests.” This is similar to other addictions, whether they include substances or processes.

Lure of Gaming Appealing for All Ages

Most people are able to enjoy video games as a source of entertainment and then return to their everyday activities. Over time, the experience of playing the games provides an escape from everyday stresses and strong emotions. Children, teens and adults can end up turning to gaming as a coping strategy to escape other problems or unwanted situations.

When someone becomes addicted to online gaming, they become disconnected from the real world. Over time, someone in this situation develops a warped perception of real-world interactions; much of their time and attention focuses on characters and story lines in their online game environments.

With the new classification from the WHO and gaming addiction being recognized as a mental health condition, more people will be able to get help. With mental health treatment, someone with a gaming addiction can re-engage with loved ones.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

We often see people who have process addictions such as this also have substance use disorders of varying levels. This common occurrence is why we have a dual diagnosis program.

The 12-Step Program Works for Many. Find Out Why…

If you are battling a drug or substance addiction and want to make positive changes so that you can put your problem in the past, you are likely curious about the benefits of the 12-step program. When you realize you need help and decide to seek treatment, the program will help you make it past the most difficult parts of recovery to give you the best odds of reaching your goal.

A trained and caring expert will learn about you and your addiction to put together a treatment plan that’s right for you. Not only will you learn to accept the problem you are facing, but you will also realize how turning your life to God will give you the power to break free.

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You Will Learn Acceptance

Denial is the worst enemy of addicts because it prevents them from taking the right steps to cure their problem. In simple terms, you need to know that an issue exists before you can have any hope of solving it. Addicts often read self-help books or watch videos online so that they can get rid of their addiction, but those methods rarely work.

The help of a professional, caring support staff and faith in God are the elements that lead to recovery from addiction, but you must accept that you are in trouble before you can find an answer. When you come to our addiction treatment program, we will utilize the 12-steps as a way to help you celebrate the fact that you are powerless to overcome your addiction alone.

You Will Take a Realistic Look at Your Choices

Many people stay trapped in addiction because they refuse to take a realistic look at their choices and how they have impacted others. Looking at the truth can be a painful experience at first but will get easier with time. Taking inventory of the decisions you have made as a result of your addiction can motivate you to make better choices in the future. Desert Cove Recovery’s addiction treatment program will inspire you to forgive yourself for everything that you have done, but we will also encourage you to make things right.

You Will Repair the Damage

When addicts try to fix their lives and repair their relationships, the guilt of their past often haunts them, which can cause further stress and depression. Some people will then return to drug use to combat the negative feelings, allowing the cycle to repeat. We believe that an effective addiction treatment must address all of the problems and emotions caused by the addiction.

Our team will invite you to make a list of each person you harmed because of your addiction and encourage you to reverse the damage. For some people, this means apologizing for past mistakes and promising not to repeat them. For others, making things right can involve repaying money they might have borrowed. Only you can decide what path is right, and you will know in your heart what you must do.

You will Learn That You Are Not Alone

Guilt, shame and feelings of worthlessness are common among addicts who feel as though their addiction is a sign of failure. One of the best ways to overcome negative emotions is to realize that you are not alone in your problem. Knowing that others have faced your battle and made it to the other side will give you the inspiration you need to keep pushing yourself forward.

You will get the chance to speak with people who are going through addiction and to understand that you are not the only person with these thoughts and feelings. The sense of unity that you will get from our program will give you the strength and courage to turn your life around.

You Will Monitor Your Progress

In addition to looking at your past choices and how they have affected others, you will also learn to monitor your progress. Each decision you make will either move you toward your goal or away from it, and keeping that fact at the front of your mind will enhance your odds of success. You will take inventory of your life every day and correct your path when needed, and you will know that you are doing the right thing.

Being Proactive

Each minute that an addiction remains untreated makes it a little harder for the addict to reverse the damage, so you won’t want to waste time. You can reach out to us right away to learn more about our program and what we can do to help. Addiction is a disease that impacts the mind and clouds judgment, but working with caring professionals and putting your life in God’s hands will enable you to escape from the struggle of addiction.

No matter your situation or the length of time for which you have been addicted, our proven system can give you the answer for which you have been searching. Your addiction does not need to define or control you anymore. We are excited to work with you and invite you to pick up the phone and give us a call, as soon as possible.

The Importance of a Dual Diagnosis in Addiction Treatment

Drug and alcohol addiction has become a problem for people across the nation, and taking every possible step to contain the threat is vital. Addicts often seek treatment but keep falling into the same trap once they complete the program and don’t know why. Rather than being simple or straightforward, addiction is a complex issue that requires a closer look when you want to give yourself or a loved one the best odds of escaping from the issue.

Mental health and addiction are very closely linked. For many people, learning about their mental health disorders is one of the most critical factors in their path to recovery. If you have depression, anxiety or other mental health diagnoses, our experts will get to the bottom of it and treat both conditions simultaneously. Doing so will give you the skills necessary to break free from your addiction and begin your recovery.

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Why Diagnosing Other Mental Health Issues is Important

People who have mental health conditions and don’t know about them will sometimes turn to drugs and alcohol as a form of self-medication, but they won’t always understand why they keep using harmful substances. If a rehabilitation center only treats the addiction but fails to notice the contributing factors, the patient is more likely relapse within a few days or weeks after treatment.

Spotting the Red Flags of Mood Disorders

Learning about mental health and addiction so that you can discuss the red flags of a mood disorder will take you far when you want to defeat your addiction. If you felt sad a lot before you became addicted to drugs or alcohol, you might be suffering from depression. Suicidal thoughts are another indication that you should look deeper than the surface of your substance issue. Those who feel nervous and uneasy without reason likely have anxiety and will need to speak with a mental health professional. Extreme mood swings and feelings of heightened confidence could point to other problems that an expert will address.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment for Mental Health and Addiction

When people opt for our treatment programs at Desert Cove Recovery, our experts will assess the needs of each person so that they can decide the best treatment plan. If we uncover other issues during the evaluation stage, we will treat the patient for addiction and the other mental health issue.

By customizing a program for each person, we can prepare our patients for life after the program in a way that will reduce their odds of repeating old habits. Handling other mental health problems has already improved the quality of life for many of our past patients, and we are confident that you will enjoy a similar outcome.

Our mission is to arm you with the tools that will allow you to reclaim your life and to break free from addiction and the other things that could hold you back from reaching your full potential. We care about our patients and will strive to help them achieve their short- and long-term goals. Even though recovery might seem far away, it’s closer than you think.

You Have Hope

Whether or not your addiction has another cause that you need to solve, our treatment centers are here to give you hope. Our team will work together to find an option that fits your lifestyle and needs, and you will know that you are in the right place. Likewise, if a person is not appropriate for our program or the therapies we offer, we will be up front on about this and discuss an alternate plan.

If you are like other addicts, you may be feeling lost and hopeless, but we promise that you can make it past your addiction if you allow us to guide you. Contact an admissions counselor today for help.

Opioid overdoses in Arizona are at their highest rate in a decade. As the opioid crisis escalates across the country, Arizona has been hit especially hard. It currently sits at second in the nation for drug-related death, coming in just behind Nevada. Worse, the numbers have been steadily rising over the last few years.

In 2016, there were 790 overdose-related deaths, representing a 16 percent increase from the previous year. Of these deaths, 482 were caused by prescription drugs; the other 308 were attributed to heroin. This year, the numbers have been even higher, with some estimates placing overdose-related deaths at around 100 per month.

These numbers reflect only a small part of the growing opioid problem in the state. Overdose deaths may be under-reported. These numbers also do not account for all of the non-lethal overdoses that are treated each month nor for the other physical, psychological and economical impacts of the drug crisis.

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The Opioid Epidemic is a Complex Issue

Many of those who develop opioid addiction are individuals who originally obtained their drugs legally through a doctor’s prescription. They may have obtained these drugs for a specific surgery or injury, or they may suffer from a chronic pain condition.

However, thanks to the highly addictive nature of opioids and their difficult withdrawal symptoms, going off of prescription drugs can prove challenging for many people. Additional factors, such as life stress and interpersonal relationship trouble, can contribute to the likelihood of developing an addiction. Once legal access to painkillers is ceased, some addicts may turn to buying their drugs off the street or switching to the comparatively cheaper illcit drug, heroin.

Since the 1990s, America has led the world in opioid prescriptions, and doctors have been known to write extensive prescriptions beyond what is actually necessary to deal with pain. For example, a patient might go to a dentist for a wisdom tooth removal and leave with a weeks-long supply of Vicodin, even though a milder painkiller would likely be just as effective after the first day or two. Having so many extra drugs left over creates opportunities for drug misuse and abuse.

Additionally, despite the real dangers posed by these drugs, prescription painkillers are often viewed by users as being safer than other kinds of drugs. There is less social stigma against taking prescription opioids, and people may not seek help for their dependency until the problem gets out of hand.

Opioids are also notoriously easy to overdose on. Drugs available on the street may not be as pure as what a user is accustomed to. They may be laced with stronger opioids, such as Fentanyl, or they may be in a higher concentration than the user is expecting. A person who has become habituated to a specific dose may also be extremely sensitive to that same dosage after a period without any drugs; when tolerance wanes, a previously safe dose can cause a deadly overdose.

A Holistic Look at Opioid Addiction

Because so many people get hooked on prescription drugs, one suggested solution to controlling the epidemic is to limit the amount of opioid drugs in circulation. That has been the suggestion of Dr. Cara Christ, Arizona’s head health official. Dr. Christ suggests heavy restrictions placed on opioid prescriptions, preventing doctors from prescribing more than are absolutely necessary.

Other solutions, such as the growing availability of the overdose-reversing drug NARCAN®, can help to reduce the amount of opioid-related deaths. However, these measures do not strike at the root of the problem. Being revived does not put an addict into recovery; without further treatment, the user may end up overdosing again in the future.

The reality is that drug addiction is complex, and no single solution will help to solve Arizona’s opioid crisis. While issues are being discussed and implemented on a policy level, it’s important for individuals to obtain the care and intervention that they need.

At Desert Cove Recovery we recognize that addiction is deeply personal and affects each person differently. We offer treatment programs that help people to get sober and stay that way by addressing the underlying causes and contributing factors to their addiction. For more information about our program, contact us today.